Coping With Children's Temperament: A Guide For Professionals

Why does one child and not another in a normal family develop a behaviour problem? If a child is sensitive and likely to complain, how does that affect the quality and quantity of the medical care provided? What happens to the neurologically intact child who has trouble paying attention in school? Children's temperaments make a substantial contribution to their environments and their interactions with them. Certain of these largely inborn behavioural style differences, which are not abnormal in themselves, may lead to clinical problems by predisposing children to abrasive, incompatible relationships with caregivers. In this book, William B. Carey and Sean C. McDevitt present a clear, concise summary of the recent clinical research on temperament, in particular from the last ten years, coupled with practical suggestions on how to use this information in a variety of clinical and educational settings. These management strategies were assembled from their own extensive clinical experience and that of others. They take the professional, psychologist, physician, nurse, teacher, day care worker, and social worker, through all the stages of a child's life to show how the effects of temperament play out in infancy, the preschool years, middle childhood, and adolescence. Richly illustrated with detailed case examples, this outstanding book brings theory and practice to life and shows how all who work with children can improve their care by understanding these important differences.